Sa vz. 58 P
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Barrel
- 390 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.10 kg
- Introduced
- 1958
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Sa vz. 58 P is a Czechoslovak gas-operated, selective-fire assault rifle chambered in 7.62x39mm. Despite a superficial resemblance to the Kalashnikov, it shares no parts and uses a fundamentally different mechanism: a short-stroke gas piston driving a linearly moving bolt carrier with a separate tilting locking piece, and a striker-fired (hammerless) trigger group. The P (pechotni, infantry) model has a fixed buttstock of wood-impregnated plastic. Adopted by the Czechoslovak military in 1959, it served as the standard service rifle for decades and remains in limited use with Czech and Slovak forces.
Designed by Jiri Cermak, the vz. 58 was developed independently of Soviet small-arms programs while still adopting the 7.62x39mm M43 cartridge for Warsaw Pact ammunition commonality, demonstrating Czechoslovakia's tradition of homegrown firearms engineering.
The receiver is machined from a solid steel forging rather than stamped. The vz. 58 uses proprietary 30-round magazines and is not compatible with AK magazines. The bolt locks via a vertically tilting locking piece rather than a rotating bolt.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Česká zbrojovka
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Country
- Czechia
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1958 to 1984
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 390 mm
- Overall length
- 845 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.10 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 3.60 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated
- Firing mechanism
- Striker fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 30
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Phosphate
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 705 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 1990 J
- Effective range
- 400 m
- Maximum range
- 2800 m
- Rate of fire
- 800 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Short stroke gas piston
Tilting breechblock locking
Striker fired mechanism
Milled steel receiver
Wood impregnated furniture
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 59 7.62x39mm assault rifles | 3.10 kg | 3.60 kg | Lighter than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 58 7.62x39mm assault rifles | 845 mm | 880 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 57 7.62x39mm assault rifles | 390 mm | 415 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 59 7.62x39mm assault rifles | 30 | 30 | Near the median |
Answers
Questions about the Sa vz. 58 P
How much does the Sa vz. 58 P weigh?
The Sa vz. 58 P weighs 3.10 kg (6.83 lb) empty and 3.60 kg (7.94 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Sa vz. 58 P?
The Sa vz. 58 P is chambered in 7.62x39mm.
How many rounds does the Sa vz. 58 P hold?
The Sa vz. 58 P holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Sa vz. 58 P?
The Sa vz. 58 P is 845 mm (33.3 in) long overall, with a 390 mm (15.4 in) barrel.
Who makes the Sa vz. 58 P?
The Sa vz. 58 P is made by Česká zbrojovka (Czechia). It was designed by Jiri Cermak.
When was the Sa vz. 58 P introduced?
The Sa vz. 58 P was introduced in 1958 and discontinued in 1984.
How does the Sa vz. 58 P operate?
The Sa vz. 58 P uses a gas operated action, and its firing mechanism is striker fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Czechoslovak Armed Forces
- 1959
- Czech Armed Forces
- Czechia
- Slovak Armed Forces
- Slovakia
Provenance
Confidence in this record
86%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/vz-58-p' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "vz-58-p", "name": "Sa vz. 58 P", "manufacturer": { "id": "cz", "name": "Česká zbrojovka", "countryCode": "CZ", "foundedYear": 1936, "website": "https://www.czfirearms.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": "Czech firearms manufacturer based in Uherský Brod, established in 1936 as a strategic armaments facility and became the main Czechoslovak producer of small firearms after World War II.", "status": "active", "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:46", "version": "3d31eca95fe86453b3e4ce39da89e68e7772f8583a0d304f8ec5873a2440ab13" }, "category": { "id": "assault-rifle", "name": "Assault Rifle", "description": "Selective-fire rifles chambered in intermediate cartridges" }, "country_of_origin": "CZ", "year_introduced": 1958, "barrel_length_mm": 390, "weight_empty_g": 3100, "action_type": "gas_operated"}